Skin 'Em Up is the debut album from the Scottish neo-rockabilly group The Shakin' Pyramids, released in 1981 by Cuba Libre, a subsidiary of Virgin Records. The album yielded a single in "Tennessee Rock 'n' Roll". The band released three EP's during 1981, two of which were led by tracks from the album: Take a Trip and Tennessee Rock 'n' Roll (backed by original b-side "Alright Alnight" and two new tracks). The album received generally positive reviews and has been described as an important release in the 1980s rockabilly revival,[2] as well as a favourite among rockabilly collectors.[3]
Skin 'Em Up has received enthusiastic reviews from a number of notable publications. NME and Rolling Stone both gave the album perfect review ratings, awarding it 10/10 and 5/5, respectively.[5][6]Trouser Press wrote, "The album pounds furiously, putting your average megawatt metal band to shame. Songs — mostly non-originals — zip by at a blinding rate; the record's only flaw is its brief running time. Then again, if brevity be the soul of this music, the Shakin' Pyramids are a rockabilly Ramones."[7]AllMusic gave the album a 4.5/5 star rating, calling it an "Explosive bopping and mostly acoustic set...which helped define the short-lived rockabilly revival of the early '80s."[2]
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